Acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician Courtney Marie Andrews’ highly anticipated new album, Old Flowers, is out today on Fat Possum Records. Stream/purchase HERE.
Created in the aftermath of a long-term relationship, Old Flowers features Andrews’ most vulnerable writing to date on ten new songs that chronicle her journey through heartbreak, loneliness and finding herself again after it all. Produced by Andrew Sarlo (Bon Iver, Big Thief), the album features only three musicians: Andrews (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano), Twain’s Matthew Davidson (bass, celeste, mellotron, pedal steel, piano, pump organ, wurlitzer, background vocals) and Big Thief’s James Krivchenia (drums, percussion).
Of the album, Andrews shares, “Old Flowers is about heartbreak. There are a million records and songs about that, but I did not lie when writing these songs. This album is about loving and caring for the person you know you can’t be with. It’s about being afraid to be vulnerable after you’ve been hurt. It’s about a woman who is alone, but okay with that, if it means truth. This was my truth this year—my nine-year relationship ended and I’m a woman alone in the world, but happy to know herself.”
Of their intention, Sarlo adds, “Before we got to the studio, we agreed to prioritize making this record as cathartic and minimal as possible—focusing on Courtney’s voice and her intention behind the songs. Because of this, the record is all about performance. I believe a great recording is the chemistry between everything during basics and the ability to feel something happening instead of obsessing over the perfect take. Courtney embraced this approach and we ended up with a raw, natural and human record.”
The release of Old Flowers continues a series of breakout years for Andrews following her critically acclaimed 2018 album, May Your Kindness Remain. The album was featured on several year-end lists including NPR Music, Variety, Paste, No Depression, The A.V. Club, and Rolling Stone, who called it, “a vital roadmap of grace, forgiveness and compassion during a year when the demand for such virtues has never been higher.” Additionally, NPR Music proclaimed, “a collection of songs, borne from interactions with others, that strives for healing and empathy in the midst of division and discord” while Stereogum praised, “astonishingly beautiful.”
Since the release, Andrews has performed at NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert series and on CBS This Morning, earned an Emerging Artist of the Year nomination at the 2018 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards and has continued to tour toured extensively including shows with Brandi Carlile, Tyler Childers, The Head, and the Heart, John Prine, Shakey Graves and The Tallest Man on Earth.
